Mocro Mafia boss's daring escape: From royal plot to house arrest
The Spanish prison services confirmed on Tuesday that Karim Bouyakhrichan, the leader of the Dutch criminal group known as Mocro Mafia, has escaped. Bouyakhrichan, who was detained last year and held temporarily, is originally from Morocco and had allegedly plotted the kidnapping and assassination of Catharina-Amalia, the daughter of the King of the Netherlands.
The escape is believed to be connected to a decision by a Malaga second instance court, which in February permitted the mafia group leader to be placed under house arrest, according to the Spanish prosecution service.
Mafioso escapes house arrest
On Tuesday, judicial authorities in Malaga reported that the exact date of Bouyakhrichan's escape remains unknown, as his court appearances were only mandated every 15 days.
It was detailed that the decision to release the mafia boss on house arrest was made on 22 February, requiring Karim Bouyakhrichan to post bail of 50,000 euros and surrender his passport.
Despite being sought by the Netherlands via a European Arrest Warrant for a variety of crimes and being on Interpol's wanted list, the mafia boss was released, Spanish media highlighted. Among the alleged plans were the assassination of the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
Bouyakhrichan was apprehended in Spain on 10 January during a police raid in Marbella, a popular resort town in the southern part of the country, facing charges of money laundering.
Connections in Spain of the Dutch gangster
The investigation revealed that the Mocro Mafia leader was connected to several Spanish criminal organizations, mostly those engaged in drug trafficking.
The Dutch request for extradition noted that the crime group led by him was implicated in various offences related to drug trafficking and organized crime, including murders.
Interpol inspectors, with Bouyakhrichan among their most wanted, assert that he played a key role in the violent drug-related confrontations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Morocco, which resulted in numerous deaths over the past decade.
